Self-closing inkstand



(N0 Model.)

.0. R. STRAUGHN.

I SELF cLosING INKSTAND. No. 485,397. Patented Nov. l, 1892.

'L .c RI.

o v "Neid WlTNESSES:

` UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

CHARLES R. STRAUGIIN, OF FERNWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.

SELF-CLOSING INKSTAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,397, dated November1, 1892.

Application filed March 24, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES R STRAUGHN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Fernwood, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Self Closing Inkstands, of whichthe following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of inkstandsfurnished with lids which are opened automatically by the pressure ofthe hand or fingers upon a lever at the instant the pen is to be dippedinto the ink and which are self-closing immediately when the pen and thepressure of the hand are withdrawn; and the object of my invention is tofurnish a self-closing inkstand which will be simple and inexpensive inconstruction and positive in its action.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate similar parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my inkstand, the base being shown in section; Fig. 2, arear elevation of the inkstand; Fig. 3a detached side elevation of thelid and its supporting and operating mechanism; and Fig. 4., a sectionacross the supporting-arm which carries the lid on a line l 2, Fig. 3.

A is the inkstand; B, the base upon which the inkstand is carried; C,the cover or lid of the inkstand; D, arm, upon the upper end of whichcover C is pivoted; E, shaft, upon which arm D is carried; F, collarloose on shaft E; G, an arm extending upward from collar F and engagingthe forward end of arm D; I-I, a crank extending downwardly from collarF; I, a bell-crank lever near the forward end of base B; J, a rodconnecting the lower arm of this lever and crank H; K, a rod pivoted toupper arm of bell-crank I and carrying upon its upper end anoperating-button L; M, an upright tube or cylinder, through which rod Kpasses aud which guides this rod in its movements.

The shaft E is carried by brackets d, secured to the base B, and thebell-crank I is carried by brackets b, also secured to base B.

N is an arm the forward end of which is carried by a shaft O, carried byand free to turn in bearings c, carried by thebase B. The rear end ofarm N has pivoted to it one end of a rod P, the other or upper end ofSerial No. 426,199. (No model.)

which is pivoted to the rear end of an arm R, which is secured to andprojects backward from the cover O. d is the pivot which secures thisrod to arm R, and e is the pivot by means of which arm D is pivoted toarm R. The arm G upon shaft E projects below this arni and forms a camS, which is adapted to engage a plate T, carried by arm N.

U is a counter-weight secured to the lower end of arm D. The operationof the device is as follows: The finger being placed upon button L,depresses this button, the rod K, and upper arm of bell-crank IJ drawsback the lower arm of this bell-crank, rod J, and crank H, whichrevolves sleeve F and causes arm G to strike the forward end of arm D.At this instant the cam S strikes plate T, and a further movement of armG and cam S depresses plate T and arm N slightly and causes through rodP the upward lifting of the cover C, this cover being pivoted to arm Dat e. ment of the arm G pushes the arm D, the cover O, and theirconnected parts back, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the coverduring its movements being held clear of and moving in a line parallelto the top of the inkwell by the action of the rod P and its connectedparts. This' is a very important feature of my invention, for if thecover rested upon and was dragged along the top of the well itsmovements might be very much retarded by the friction between it and thewell A further moveor entirely stopped by coming in contact with driedparticles of ink or other substances on top of the well. This would beparticularly.

the case during the closing movements of the cover, which depend solely1upon the action of the counter-weight U upon the bottom of the arm D.

The arm D is preferably bent from a piece of sheet metal and has a Ushape, as shown in Fig. 4. This shape insures strength as well aslightness, and in addition forms a case through which the rod P passesand in which this rod is concealed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, in anautomatic inkstand, of the ink-well and cover and an arm rigidly securedto and projecting backward from said cover, a supporting-arm pivoted tosaid arrn on said cover, as at e, and supported upon a shaft carried insuitable bearings by the base of the inkstand, a rod the upper end ofwhich is pivoted to arm on said cover, as at d, and the lower end ofwhich is secured to the outer end of a lever, the rear end of which iscarried by a shaft pivoted to the base, as shown, and devices,substantially as shown, operated by the hand and adapted to first drawdown said rod and lift said cover from the ink'weli and then to movesaid cover and its supporting-arm backward.

2. The combination, in an inkstand, of the ink-well and cover, an armpivoted to the rear of said cover, a counter-Weight on bottom of saidarm, a shaft E, carried in bearings carried by the base, a collar looseon this shaft, an arm extending upwardly from said collar and adapted toengage the forward end of arm which carries cover, a cam on said collar,an arm carried by a shaft pivoted in bearings carried by the base andforward of said cam, a plate on said arm adapted to be engaged by saidcam, a rod pivoted to rear end of said arm and to the cover or to aprojection from the cover and back of arm which carries cover, a crankextending downwardly from collar on shaft E, a bell-crank lever pivotednear forward part of the base, a rod connecting lower end of saidbell-crank and crank on said collar, a rod connected to upper end ofsaid bellcrank, a guide for retaining said rod in a vertical position,and an operating-button on upper end of said rod.

CI-IAS. R. STRAUGHN. Vitnesses:

MORRIS R. BooKIUs, Grills. A. BUTTER.

